Dangerfield to become director of Athletics & Leisure Services

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Bryan Dangerfield will become director of the Department of Athletics & Leisure Services on Jan. 2, after serving for three years as the City of Mesquite's director of economic development, redevelopment and he was also the City public information officer.

Aaron Baker, who has served as associate for the past 18 months, will become the interim economic development director. Mike Callahan, Internal Services Director, will assume City public information officer duties.

“Bryan has an extensive background in sports marketing and management and is uniquely qualified to assume this position our director of athletics and leisure services,” said Interim City Manager Kurt Sawyer. “He has held responsible positions in significant sports organizations and has 25 years of experience with amateur, collegiate, professional and Olympic sports.”

According to Sawyer, Dangerfield will take over responsibilities for the City’s competitive ball fields, recreation center, parks and the Senior Center from the former Leisure Services Department Director Rich Bohne. Dangerfield will have sports marketing responsibilities in order to promote Mesquite’s outstanding athletic venues. Dangerfield was the executive director of the Utah Summer Games (an Olympic-style sporting event for amateur athletes), worked two Olympic Games and four U.S. Olympic Festivals. He has done sports marketing for professional baseball and hockey teams in Las Vegas, major college programs at the University of California-Davis, BYU and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

While economic development director, Dangerfield established the Mesquite Nevada Means Business (MMB) program to recruit new business, retain and expand existing businesses, enhance government to business relationships, provide due diligence materials, create branding opportunities, improve infrastructure for growth and oversight of community development programs. The MMB program was highlighted by comprehensive due diligence materials for site locators, quarterly workshops for business owners on timely and relevant topics and an event planning calendar to help local businesses accommodate large influxes of visitors.

Local business organizations pitched in to produce a Mesquite Nevada promotional video, TV advertising and video clips with world-wide visibility during rebroadcasts on ESPN during the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships.

Baker produced a New Business Checklist form with helpful interactive links on the www.MesquiteMeansBusiness.com website. Mesquite also provides informational materials and video on the Mesquite Means Business YouTube Channel, GoMesquiteNV Twitter feed.

The Desert Tortoise

Like many desert creatures, desert tortoises spend most of their lives "holed up." In spring and summer, they roam grazing on grasses and wildflowers, then head for their burrows when it gets too hot. In fall and winter, when it is cold and there is not much to eat, they stay burrowed in for six months or more at a time.

If you see a desert tortoise, you are seeing an endangered species. Please watch out for them on the roads. Tortoises live in washes and valleys where the soil is soft enough for them to burrow into, yet stable enough so they do not collapse. Remember, desert tortoises are protected under the Endangered Species Act and may not be handled or removed.

Golf in the Desert

The city of Mesquite combines calm, small-town flavour with big-city attractions and championship golf. The Palms and the Oasis Golf Clubs are only two of the half-dozen challenging courses in the area.

Golf Highlights in Mesquite

Golf built on the dramatic Virgin Foothills of Nevada makes for a unique landscape and golf setting.
Enjoy a spa treatment at the Spa at Casablanca or the Spa at the Oasis.
Mesquite serves as a gateway to the national parks of Southern Utah and Zion National Park, which is less than two hours away.

View more information about golf courses in Mesquite

The Speedy RoadRunner

Called paisano in Mexico, the roadrunner is a well-known desert resident that only superficially resembles its popular cartoon portrayal. The greater roadrunner has adapted to life on the run. Though it can fly well, it prefers to use its strong legs and X- shaped toes to run rapidly over the desert landscape. Active predators, roadrunners aggressively chase insects, lizards, snakes, small birds and mammals.

Tolerant of humans, they sometimes nest in protected eaves and garages when they are not building large stick nests in desert trees. Their vocalizations include bill clicking noises and a mournful cooing made during breeding seasons. They do not meep-meep.